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sp00ky_girl28's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Body shaming
Minor: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Gore
makeintoall's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Body shaming, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Racism, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Classism, Violence, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Gore, Death, Cursing, Cannibalism, Murder, and Blood
ashyyy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I didn't necessarily like the protagonist, but that doesn't mean I wasn't rooting for them. Same with the protagonist's mother. I went in loathing her and came out with an angry, but empathetic, outlook.
The whiplash ending was wild. From being tense about the treament to laughing about Tom Cruise to crying over grief in the shape of a jellyfish. What a time.
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Gore
Minor: Toxic friendship and Racism
There is a heavy obsession with skincare and looking "beautiful" throughout the book, including lightening darker skin.ariep's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Dysphoria, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Death, and Body shaming
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Gore, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content
kittkat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Marva tells us self-care is telling yourself you matter every morning in the mirror. You should talk to it. Become friends with what you see there.
Belle ist süchtig nach Skincare, weil sie schon seit ihrer Kindheit sehr unsicher war und eifersüchtig auf alle die schöner waren. Ihr größter Komplex war ihre wunderschöne Mutter, mit der sie seit eines Unfalls keinen Kontakt mehr hatte und die nun tot aufgefunden wurde. Wie ihre Mutter vor ihrem Tod wird jetzt auch Belle in eine unheimliche Spa-Sekte hineingezogen. Sie bieten ihr eine kostenlose Behandlung an, aber sie nehmen mehr von ihr als sie geben 🫣.
I envy 🌹.
Wie bei Bunny ging es in dieser Geschichte um so viel mehr als im Blurb angeteasert wurde.
- Die toxische aber vielfältige Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung.
- Erwachsenwerden.
- Erwachsenwerden ohne Vater und als Minderheit sogar im eigenen Haus.
- Der Schaden, den Neid alleine anrichten kann.
- Whitewashing und internalisierter Rassismus.
Dazu hat die Autorin noch so einen hypnotisierenden, humorvollen Schreibstil, der einen komplett in die Welt des Geschehens zieht. Auch wenn die Geschichte etwas zu lang gezogen wurde und man zwischendurch den roten Faden verliert, sehe ich das Buch irgendwie als ein Kunstwerk, das reine Interpretationssache ist.
Bonus: Mona Awad hat es wirklich geschafft so viele klassische Märchen (und sogar bisschen ägyptische Mythologie) auf die eine oder andere Art einzubauen: Dornröschen, Schneewittchen, Rapunzel, Cinderella, Der Zauberer von Oz, Ariel, … + sehr überraschend Tom Cruise,
„Oh my god, is it really you?“ - „It is really me,“ Tom Cruise whispers. Tom Cruise. Standing in Mother‘s mirror. Tom Cruise, in the flesh.
Graphic: Racism, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Gore, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Confinement, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Body shaming and Gore
cara_anne's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, Gore, and Death of parent
danimacuk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Gore, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, Bullying, Cursing, Racism, Alcohol, and Cultural appropriation
glassflowrr's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Animal death
Moderate: Racism and Alcohol
Minor: Body horror, Gore, Classism, Blood, and Body shaming
_scvvter's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Then I hate to wait more than 6 months for it to get to me because over 100 people in my city were ahead of me. When I finally got this, I was thinking "this better have been worth the wait.
And MY GOD WAS IT. I absolutely love this book. Awad was able to easily get me to sympathise with every character, even the ones with smaller roles. Her writing shoved me right into the story and had me waiting to get back to it any chance I could get. It was beautiful, heart-wrenching, and suspenseful.
The one thing I can say about this that isn't positive is that this doesn't feel like a horror novel at all.
In the end, what I great start to my reading of 2024 and it makes me have high hopes for all of Awad's other novels!
Final Score: 10/10
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Suicide and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Gore
lizzyreadz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Body horror
Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Gore, and Self harm